Maria Padilla

Maria Padilla, a food worker at UC Santa Cruz, used to work for Sodexho for eight years and now is a university employee.The campus made the switch in 2003.

After the regents meeting, Padilla said she earned $8.40 per hour as a Sodexho worker and now earns $17 per hour working for the university.She pays $37 per month for health insurance compared to Uribe, the UCD worker who pays $35 per week.

Padilla said it's expensive to live in Santa Cruz.She - like many of her co-workers - had three jobs including the one with Sodexho, which didn't provide paid sick time.

When Padilla became a university employee, she was able to quit two of her jobs and go to school to learn English.Parents were able to take their children to doctor's appointments in the afternoons.

"It was a huge change for us," said Padilla, who came to support UCD's workers at the regents meeting.

Maria Padilla, a food worker at UC Santa Cruz, used to work for Sodexho for eight years and now is a university employee.The campus made the switch in 2003.

After the regents meeting, Padilla said she earned $8.40 per hour as a Sodexho worker and now earns $17 per hour working for the university.She pays $37 per month for health insurance compared to Uribe, the UCD worker who pays $35 per week.

Padilla said it's expensive to live in Santa Cruz.She - like many of her co-workers - had three jobs including the one with Sodexho, which didn't provide paid sick time.

When Padilla became a university employee, she was able to quit two of her jobs and go to school to learn English.Parents were able to take their children to doctor's appointments in the afternoons.

"It was a huge change for us," said Padilla, who came to support UCD's workers at the regents meeting.

Maria Padilla
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Maria Padilla